As it was widely known, Michele Brooks got the nod to replace Rod Wilt in the 17th district. Despite the secret committee, anyone who knows a smidge of Mercer County Republican politics knew that Brooks was going to be chosen.

Mrs. Brooks passed with flying colors as the committee, made up of 14 Republicans from Mercer, Crawford and Lawrence counties, unanimously picked her on the first ballot to be the Republican nominee in the fall.

Mrs. Brooks will face Lawrence County Democrat Frank Weaver.

Sure, the 17th district no longer has a conservative to represent them, but then again, Mercer County will no longer have a RINO Commissioner voting in lock step with the liberals on each issue. Maybe there is now hope for Mercer County - now we can push to have at least one conservative as commish.

EDIT: The Herald had this pic on their home page (and front of the paper) - the caption is mine:

Tuesday, June 20, 2006

President Jane Rath and the rest of the school board had a "first reading" of a new policy concerning public comments during school board meetings. They go as follows:

- Public discussion can only last 30 minutes.- No citizen may speak for more than three minutes.- No citizen may speak to any board member, other than the one directing the meeting (typically president Rath).

Keep in mind that very rarely do citizens attend school board meetings. Also, if they do attend, very rarely do any citizens speak. So, why the change? If I want to criticize tax policy, I should be able to take a reasonable amount of time to lay out my case. If I want to speak about a great baseball game, theater production, or band concert, I shouldn't be limited to three miniscule minutes.

This is pure politics and abuse of power, folks. Rath just won re-election. She has nothing to lose by pushing this along. She can use her power to shield the five members who face re-election next year. There is no good reason why this policy should take effect. No citizen rambles on and on during meetings. With this change, the public cannot take full advantage of the Constitution to face elected officials and question their actions...well, as long as you keep it under three minutes and direct your comments to Der Kommissar.

Tuesday, June 13, 2006

As reported by The Herald (Sharon, PA), the murder trial of Scott Dunn will be held in the Borough Council chambers of the Grove City borough building. The courtroom of District Justice Lawrence Silvis was deemed to be too small for the anticipated crowd.

Intense community and media attention focused on the case prompted the move to the larger venue. The hearing is set for June 27 and 28.

Dunn, 27, of 469 Branchton Road, Slippery Rock, is accused of beating his wife Brandon “Brandi” C. Dunn, 22, to death and setting fire to her body inside her parents’ home at 109 E. Washington Blvd. the morning of Jan. 14.

Dunn is facing charges of criminal homicide, abuse of a corpse and three counts of arson. He has been held in the Mercer County Jail without bond since his arrest April 10. In Pennsylvania, anyone charged with a crime that carries a potential life or death sentence — like homicide — is not eligible for bail.

Last night, the Grove City School Board raised taxes a full two mills. Under the direction of Board President Jane Rath, the tax hike went through with generous pay increases to administrators. Superintendent Bob Post saw his salary jump to $112,000 per year, while Assistant Superintendet Tom Bell saw an increase to $98,000 per year.

At a time when Grove City residents see an average yearly income of $35,000 per year, raising taxes to pay for generous salary hikes is deplorable. The school district only uses about half of the tax income on in-class expenditures, so this latest tax grab clearly isn't for the children. Shame on the liberal Grove City School Board!

Here's a gem of a quote from Rath (courtesy of the June 14, 2006 Allied News): "We gave raises to great employees tonight."

Doesn't that make you warm and fuzzy inside? They raised taxes so administrators can make even more. I have no problem with people trying to make more money (duh, that's capitalism!), but I have a problem when public servants get big hikes when the citizens clearly can't afford to pay them! Jane Rath and company obviously can't live within a budget when it comes to your money, but I bet her checkbook is in the black. If she tried living like she runs the school board, she'd be bouncing checks everywhere (or robbing banks to pay her debts). Either way, she'd be a felon.

Think about that the next time you see a school board member or administrator haugtily walking around the town...or motoring about in their Volvos.

Thursday, June 08, 2006

Now that state Rep. Rod E. Wilt has announced he won’t seek re-election, the political maneuvering has begun to find his replacement on the ballot.

Less than a day after Wilt made it official Nov. 30 would be his last day in office in Harrisburg, Mercer County Commissioner Michele Brooks surfaced as a potential candidate and she was quick to acknowledge her interest in the position.

“I’m strongly considering putting my name in the hat for the nomination and looking forward to possibly serving the people of the 17th District and continuing to serve the public,” the Jamestown Republican said Wednesday.

The northern Mercer County-centered district stretches from Crawford to Lawrence County and includes Greenville, Jamestown, Sandy Lake, Reynolds and New Wilmington.

William Kirk, the Mercer County Republican Committee chairman, explained a committee will be appointed to select Wilt’s replacement on the ballot. Committees in all three counties are seeking resumés and letters of interest from Republicans who would like to be considered. The deadline is June 16.

Brooks has been woeful as a commish. She has made some truly bad decisions. She has consistently voted with the two democrat commissioners. She's not a conservative - not even close. She will never fill Wilt's shoes, but she will get his seat.

Brooks has the connections she needs. She's very close with State Senator (and fellow RINO) Bob Robbins. She's very close with Mercer County Treasurer Ginny Steese Richardson, who is deeply rooted in the area. If Brooks wants the seat, it will be hers. And District 17 will be worse off for it.

Wednesday, June 07, 2006

State Rep. Rod E. Wilt, in a stunning announcement, has decided to withdraw his name from nomination for re-election in the November general election. The veteran legislator will fulfill the rest of his term, which ends on Nov. 30.

NEWS FLASH: I spoke with a representative from his office who noted that "[Wilt] is stepping down to spend more time with his family."

I got the chance to speak to Wilt this afternoon. He noted, "I've got ten years in (the legislature). It's time to move on." He reiterated his desire to shift his priorities and spend more time with his family. He also stated that he was fortunate to serve. Wilt said that he hopes to work to see another conservative take his place.

Wilt has been one of the staunch conservatives in the state legislature. He routinely aligns his votes with Dick Stevenson and Daryl Metcalfe to keep spending low and liberties unassailed.

Wilt represents the 17th District, covering parts of Crawford, Lawrence, and Mercer Counties. There was no news of his departure listed on his Web site.

Wilt has consistently earned high scores on the Commonwealth Foundation Liberty Index. On the most recent report card, Wilt placed seventh, earning an “A” for his score of 88.05. Metcalfe placed first with a 93.23 and Stevenson was ninth with a 77.62.

Most recently, Wilt has stepped forward to support the Marriage Protection Amendment, and he has called upon Governor Rendell to hire more PA State Troopers.